Bogbean

Common Name: Bogbean

Latin Name: Menyanthes trifoliata

Family: Menyanthaceae

In addition to being a very beautiful flower, the bogbean has had many traditional uses including its leaves being used as a substitute for hops in beer, the rhizome being powdered and used in bread making and parts of the plant being used as a cure for arthritis. The plant also contains a chemical compound which attracts cats. Bogbean is listed as a species of conservation concern by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and is listed in the UK by CITIES (UK list only). CITIES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora which regulates the trade in endangered species.

Bogbean is locally frequent throughout the UK in unpolluted shallow pond, marsh and fen habitats. It has intricate flowers with five petals. The petals are flushed with pink on the lower surface and fringed on the upper surface. In the Yorkshire Dales National Park places where bogbean can be seen include the Malham Tarn National Nature Reserve.

Websites:

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species UK (opens in new window)